Vodafone, Idea Resume 3G Roaming Services

Telecom operators Vodafone and Idea Cellular have said they will resume 3G services in circles where they don't have spectrum through intra-circle roaming (ICR) pacts with other operators.

NEW DELHI: Telecom operators Vodafone and Idea Cellular have said they will resume 3G services in circles where they don't have spectrum through intra-circle roaming (ICR) pacts with other operators.

Bharti Airtel had earlier announced resumption of its 3G services in circles where it don't have spectrum.

This announcement by the operators comes post the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) ruling last week. The TDSAT bench headed by Justice Aftab Alam has said 3G ICR agreement signed by Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular was not violative of licence agreement.

Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular had approached TDSAT against Department of Telecom order to stop 3G intra-circle roaming agreement under which they had also agreed to acquire customers in area where they did not win spectrum.

Vodafone said the circles where the 3G roaming services will be provided to both postpaid and prepaid users are MPCG (Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh), Karnataka, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, HP, J&K, UP West, Bihar and Assam and North East.

Idea said its customers in Delhi, Mumbai, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kolkata and West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Assam and North East can now avail 3G services.

However, there will be no 3G service in Odisha from these operators as all three don't have 3G spectrum there.

Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular won 3G spectrum in 2010 auction. Airtel won 3G spectrum in 13 out of 22 telecom service area for Rs 12,295.46, Vodafone in 9 for Rs 11,617.86 and Idea Cellular in 11 circles for Rs 5,768.59 crore.